Healthy Pregnancy Tips

If you're not yet pregnant but planning to conceive - congratulations, these healthy pregnancy tips are perfectly timed for you! Research shows that parents who get their health and lifestyle in tip top condition before they conceive tend to have the most trouble-free pregnancies and deiliveries and the healthiest children.

If you're already pregnant, the fact that you're on this page shows that you want the best for your baby and to sail through pregnancy as smoothly as you can.

So - our top healthy pregnancy tips:

Things You Need:

1) A good health practitioner. Register as early as you can and get the best advice to avoid medical problems. Be honest about your past - no-one will be judgemental if you smoke or used t take drugs, but such information is vital for your doctor or doula to help you with your health plan. Ask about their most important healthy pregnancy tips as well.

2) A good diet. Start eating the right things - now! Shockingly both the American and British standard diets are known to be deficient in the nutrients a baby needs in utero. A healthy pregnancy diet isn't hard to achieve but it's sooooo important! Check you are getting enough of the following: zinc, folic acid, iron, magnesium, B vitamins, fish oils, calcium and water. Filtered tap water is cheap and doesn't have the heavy metals that could harm the fetus.

3) Fresh air and exercise. If you worked out, did yoga or jogged before getting pregnant, there's no reason you shouldn't continue now, albeit more gently. Consult your health professional before you start. Pilates , yoga and many other forms of pregnancy exercise are good for you provided you proceed with care and wisdom.

4) Relaxation. Learning proper pregnancy relaxation is more than just slumping in front of the TV! A systematic body relaxation has lots of powerful physical and psychological benefits: it brings your blood pressure and stress levels down, it aids digestion and nutrient absorption and it reduces and prevents muscle strain and fatigue.

5) Pregnancy Sex. Yes! Unless your health practitioner warns you against it, sexual intimacy during pregnancy brings many of the above benefits plus it has a great effect on your relationship. There is no medical evidence to suggest that sex during pregnancy is dangerous to the unborn child, but you will find that there are certain pregnant sexual positions that are more comfortable than others.

6) Antenatal Preparation Meeting other expectant parents and learning as much as you can about the delivery of your baby is a very good idea. You can also share your healthy pregnancy tips with people going through the same experiences and gain ideas from them too. Antenatal classes are to be found in most communities and special ones are run by organisations such as the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and the Active Birth Center.

7) Drink Water - and make it the best For your own and your baby's health, you need to be drinking good quality water every day.

Healthy Pregnancy Tips: Things to Avoid:

1) German Measles. If a pregnant woman catches German Measles, the fetus can be harmed, so make sure you have either had the disease or get vaccinated before becoming pregnant. Other less common pregnancy health hazards include listeria, caught from unpasteurised cheeses and milk products, and a disease caught from sheep - so if you are a farmer or smallholder, let someone else do the lambing and animal handling whilst you are pregnant.

2) Too much Vitamin A. Overdosing on vitamin supplements can be as bad as, or worse than, not taking them at all.

3) Hot tubs, Saunas, Steam Rooms. Overheating can be dangerous to the unborn baby, so it is strongly advised to stay away from the above until you've had your baby.

4) Smoking, Drugs and Alcohol. It is known that all of the above can cause direct damage to the unborn baby and sadly, the highest risk time is early on in pregnancy. So there's never been a better reason to stop. There are many programs that will help you: just ask your local doctor healthcare provider...they won't be judgemental and will be keen to help.

5) Cat Litter. More than 20% of cats carry a parasitic worm which can be caught from their litter and faeces. Toxoplasmosis infects the human brain and has unpleasant side effects, so is best avoided by everyone - but especially pregnant women and young children. (This is also a good reason for keeping a lid on children's sandpits.)

6) Stress. Both psychological and physical stress can detract from your pleasure in your pregnancy at best and at worst can actually threaten a healthy pregnancy. Mothers who work may be at greatest risk of both types of stress. Avoiding tense situations, enlisting other people's help, taking time out to relax properly and avoiding prolonged standing or lifting are all very sensible solutions.

Having a healthy pregnancy doesn't just happen automatically, alas...it requires planning and effort. But the rewards are so worthwhile!

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Healthy Pregnancy Tips